Minor League Recap 5/20/2019: Reno Beats Tacoma 25 to 9

Diamondbacks affiliates won just one of three games played, with Reno absolutely beating up Tacoma, Jackson lost in extra innings, and Kane County basically giving away a win. Visalia merely had the day off. Here are the Snake Stars.

Snake Stars

Yasmany Tomas 5-6 with 4 home runs, 8 RBIS

Matt Szczur 4-6 (hit for the cycle) double, triple, home run

Kevin Cron 3-4 with two home runs, two walks, 6 RBIs

AAA: Reno Aces 25 @ Tacoma Rainiers 8

After the 18 to 9 beating Tacoma gave Reno on Sunday, the Aces returned the favor and then some. Reno scored at least a run in each inning except the fourth inning, and every batter was on base at least three times. Yasmany Tomas lead the way, going 5-6 with four home runs (a three run homerun, a two run home run, and two solo homers ie a grand slam short of the homerun cycle) with eight RBIS. Matt Szczur was 4-6 and hit for the cycle (2 run homerun, a triple, a double, and a single), although he was caught stealing. Kevin Cron was 3-4 with a double, two home runs (a three run home run, and a two run homerun, for 21 on the season), along with two walks and six RBIS. Caleb Joseph was 2-5 with a double, a solo homer, and a walk. Domingo Leyba was 3-5 with a walk and a solo homer, and Tim Locastro was 3-7 with a double and a solo homer of his own. Finally, Wyatt Mathisen was 2-5 with a pair of doubles and a walk. The only player who didn't get a hit was Abraham Almonte, who still managed to reach base three times with three walks.

As far as the pitching goes, Taylor Clarke struck out four in 4 ²⁄₃ innings, and allowed four runs on seven hits, four walks, and a balk. Stefan Crichton went 1 ¹⁄₃ scoreless innings, with no hits or runs, just a pair of walks to a strikeout. Connor Grey went 2 ¹⁄₃ innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks. Joey Krehbiel got the last two outs of the ninth inning on a pop up and a line out to end the game.

AA: Jackson Generals 2 vs Tennessee Smokies 3 F/12

Bo Takahashi pitched six innings and gave up just a hit to the first batter he faced, though he walked four, while striking out three, and was charged with just an unearned run. The unearned run came via a couple of walks in a row, followed by a fielding error (one of two) by Jazz Chisholm. Damien Magnifico pitched the seventh inning and allowed a run on two hits. Junior Garcia pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, allowing two hits and walk, while striking out a pair. Lucas Luetge pitched a perfect tenth, though he had some help from catcher Dom MIroglio, who picked off the automatic runner trying to steal third. Matt Brill pitched a scoreless eleventh, working his way around the automatic runner, but he’d lose the game in the twelfth inning.

Matt Brill walked the lead off batter, putting runners on first and second thanks to the automatic runner on second base, then walked the next batter. After a force out at third, the runners executed a double steal moving up to second and third, and then the runner at third scored on a sacrifice fly, and then a groundout to end the top of the twelfth. The Generals would get the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the inning, but pinch hitter Galli Cribbs Jr ground into a double-play.

Jackson’s offense just didn’t show up at the plate. The Generals were 4 for 35 at the plate, with seven walks, and had only one extra-base hit (a double by Andy Young). They were 1-7 with runners in scoring position.

A: Kane County Cougars 5 vs Quad City River Bandits 7

Levi Kelly pitched five solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out six. Kenny Hernandez pitched 1.1 innings, allowed three hits and no walks, while striking out one. Though he was charged with no earned runs, Hernandez would be charged with five unearned runs in the seventh. That five run seventh was almost a team effort in giving away runs and is what really cost Kane County this game. The first two batters in the top of seventh reached on errors by third baseman Buddy Kennedy and second baseman Eddie Hernandez, then after Kenny Hernandez got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, a single would load the bases, and then another scored the first run of the inning and keep the bases loaded. Catcher Jose Herrera then get tagged with catcher’s interference, which forced in another run. Wesley Rodriguez replaced Hernandez, only to immediately gave up a triple. Rodriguez pitched 2 ²⁄₃ innings in all, allowing just two hits while striking out four.

The offense scored three runs in the second thanks to back-to-back walks to Buddy Kennedy and Blaze Alexander. A wild pitch would advance both runners, Kennedy would then score on a ground out, and Alexander shortly thereafter, when Joe Gillette homered to left. Kane County tacked on another run thanks to a throwing error with bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, and another in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a timely single by Blaze Alexander that scored Buddy Kennedy to make it five to two.